While my lead talked about the concept of having a hot pizza delivered to your doorstep by a drone, and some people might scoff at that notion, I do think there is something to this technology. We essentially already have the know-how we need to deploy unmanned aircraft for whatever needs (and wants) we see fit. There are a few kinks. The machines need to be equipped with the ability to detect and avoid each other, and manned aicraft need the ability to do the same. But, to me, it seems the cost of overcoming those hurdles is minimal compared to the potential benefit. So wherever this trend goes, I think it would be wise for transportation writers such as myself to pay close attention.

April 17, 2013

During the Cold War, West Berlin residents who wanted to go from one end of their city to another could take subway trains that briefly cut through portions of East Berlin. The trains were allowed by the East German government to pass without stopping, although armed guards kept a close watch to ensure nobody got off the trains (or, perhaps more importantly, to ensure no East Germans got on). As the trains made their way through East Berlin, they would pass through trains stations that had been closed since the Berlin Wall was built. These train platforms - ratty, creepy and abandoned except for the presence of the guards - became known as "ghost stations." If you ever saw one of these stations up close, I would very much like to talk with you for a news story.

Please call 817 390 7796 or send an email to gdickson@star-telegram.com Whether you lived in East Berlin or West Berlin, or just visited, I would like to talk with you about your experiences. Please include a phone number or email address so I can get in touch with you.

Also, if you have experience riding the modern trains of reunified Germany, including the InterCity Express trains that today go 200 mph-plus, I would like to speak with you.

Last year, I was fortunate to attend the International Transport Forum, an annual event held in Leipzig, Germany featuring renowned goverment officials and transportation experts from around the world.

That trip introduced me to Germany's passenger rail system. (Some of those Cold War "ghost stations," by the way, have been dramatically rebuilt and are now hubs of modernity in Berlin.) Today, I'd like to do a story comparing the German experience to the United States' effort to develop a more effective rail system. I am planning a return trip to this year's International Transport Forum May 22-24 in Leipzig, and I hope to explore the issue of passenger rail more in depth while I'm there.

But before I go, I need your help ...

Please spread the word to anyone you know who spent time in East Berlin, West Berlin or more recently in reunified Berlin. I would very much like to talk.

January 23, 2012

William Shatner's Priceline Negotiator character is apparently killed off in the company's latest commercial - in a fiery bus crash. And the American Bus Association is crying foul.

The association, which represents the long-distance bus industry, says the commercial that began running Monday is "in very poor taste."

"ABA believes the commercial damages the reputation of our industry and the hardworking men and women who drive buses, maintain them and do all of the work to safely carry hundreds of thousands each day," association spokesman Don Ronan said in a press release. "ABA is asking Priceline to take the spot out of circulation immediately."

In it, Shatner's character is among several people on a bus that has crashed into a bridge and is dangling over the edge. He hurries the others out the back of the bus and encourages them to use Priceline to find a hotel and "save yourselves ... some money." The bus then topples over the side of the bridge with Shatner aboard.

The association also invited the real-life Shatner to ride in a motor coach, so he see for himself how safe the mode of travel really is. To read the bus association's full press release, click here.

June 24, 2011

Columbo is my all-time favorite show, so it is with great sadness I pass along this report that Peter Falk has died after battling Alzheimer's disease for several years. What are your favorite memories of Columbo episodes, or other Falk work?

Perhaps he was at his sleuthy best in Double Exposure, an episode in which he solved a murder by uncovering subliminal suggestion in a film. Also, I absolutely loved his chemistry with his long-time friend, John Cassavetes, in Etude in Black.

And, of course, there were the many appearances of Columbo's beloved car, the 1959 Peugeot.

I have fond memories of watching Columbo reruns with my mom. She was an insomniac, and she and I often stayed up late to watch mysteries. She also helped me collect Columbo episodes on VHS, and later DVD -- which I still frequently watch ... and sometimes force my wife and kids to watch with me ;-) ...

April 12, 2011

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief is a lame duck, meaning he won't seek another term. But could he have a new career as the voice of the Aflac duck? Watch this video and judge for yourself.
It was a joint meeting between the City Council and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority to talk about the future of commuter rail.